MOST CORRUPT: REPRESENTATIVE AARON SCHOCK Representative Aaron Schock (R-IL) is a two-term member of Congress, representing Illinois 18th

congressional district. His ethics issues stem from illegally soliciting excessive contributions and using campaign funds for personal expenses. Improper Solicitation of Funds In 2012, in the wake of redistricting, incumbent Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Don Manzullo (R-IL) competed in a hotly contested primary to represent Illinois 16th District. 1 The Campaign for Primary Accountability (CPA), a super PAC dedicated to removing incumbents from office, targeted Rep. Manzullo during the primary. 2 According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the CPA spent a total of $224,532 on mailings, online advertising, and TV and radio ads opposing Rep. Manzullo. 3 Rep. Schock endorsed Rep. Kinzinger. 4 On March 15, 2012, Rep. Schock asked House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), who had also publicly endorsed Rep. Kinzinger, if he would contribute to an organization supporting Rep. Kinzingers bid. 5 According to Rep. Cantors campaign spokesperson, Rep. Schock said he planned to give $25,000 to the CPA to be used to benefit Rep. Kinzinger, and asked Rep. Cantor, Can you match that? 6 Rep. Cantor replied Absolutely. 7 On March 16, 2012, Rep. Cantors leadership PAC, Every Republican Is Crucial, contributed $25,000 to the CPA. 8 In an email to Roll Call, a spokesman for Rep. Schock said he had vetted the question through an attorney specializing in FEC compliance beforehand and was told the solicitation would be legal. 9 On March 20, 2012, Rep. Kinzinger defeated Rep. Manzullo in the primary by 12 points. 10

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David Catenese, Tea Party Backs Veteran Illinois Politician in House Race, Politico, March 20, 2012. Kim Geiger, Ill. Primary: Freshman Congressman Knocks Off Veteran in GOP Battle, Los Angeles Times, March 21, 2012. 3 Campaign for Primary Accountability Inc., FEC Form 3X, 2012 April Monthly Report, April 20, 2012. 4 David Catanese, Schock for Kinzinger, Politico, February 27, 2012. 5 John Stanton, Eric Cantor Gave $25K to Anti-Incumbent PAC to Aid Adam Kinzinger, Roll Call, April 6, 2012. 6 Id. 7 Id. 8 Campaign for Primary Accountability Inc., FEC Form 3X, 2012 April Monthly Report, April 20, 2012. 9 John Stanton, Aaron Schocks Office Insists Super PAC Solicitation Was Legal, Roll Call, April 11, 2012. 10 Chris Cillizza, Rep. Kinzinger Beats Rep. Manzullo in Illinois, Washington Post, March 21, 2012.

Personal Use of Campaign Funds During the 2008 and 2010 election cycles, Rep. Schocks campaign committee reimbursed him unusually high amounts for expenses. He received a total of $154,466 over the two cycles, much of which paid for meals at high-end restaurants and lodging at five-star hotels. 11 In 2010, Rep. Schocks campaign reimbursed him $1,136 for a stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, a five-star luxury hotel in Athens, Greece. 12 Members of Congress are permitted to use campaign funds for fundraisers or official travel, 13 but congressional travel records do not reflect any official trips to Greece taken by Rep. Schock, and his campaign records reflect no contributions from donors with Greek addresses. 14 In March 2012, CREW released its Family Affair report, which questioned the expense. 15 In response, Rep. Schocks chief of staff acknowledged the hotel bill was in fact a personal expense and described the reimbursement as a mistake. 16 That receipt should not have been mixed in with his campaign receipts for that month, Mr. Shearer said. 17 Rep. Schock repaid the campaign for the hotel expense on March 22, 2012. 18 In addition, Rep. Schocks campaign reported paying $319 for a series of workout DVDs known as P90X, classifying the purchase as health care. 19 The campaign committee subsequently amended its FEC reports to delete the P90X payment, replacing it with a previously undisclosed $312 payment to the W Hotel in Chicago. 20 Oddly, the total credit card bill of $6,732 did not change, despite the amended entries. 21 Campaign officials insisted the P90X expense had also been reported in error. 22 Potential Violations Improper Solicitation of Campaign Contributions Federal law prohibits any individual holding Federal office from solicit[ing] . . . funds in connection with an election for Federal office . . . unless the funds are subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). 23 The FEC made explicitly clear in Advisory Opinion 2011-12 that, under 2 U.S.C.
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Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2007-2008 Reports; Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2009-2010 Reports. Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2010 Pre-Primary Report, January 21, 2010; http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury-hotels/athens/hotel-grande-bretagne. 13 11 CFR 113.2(a)(1). 14 Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2007-2008 Reports; Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2009-2010 Reports. 15 For more information, see Family Affair, available at http://www.citizensforethics.org/familyaffair. 16 Schock Campaign Spending Questioned in Report, Associated Press, March 24, 2012. 17 Id. 18 Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2012 April Quarterly Report, April 13, 2012. 19 Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2010 July Quarterly Report, July 15, 2010. 20 Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2010 July Quarterly Report, Amended, July 30, 2010; Schock for Congress, FEC Form 3, 2010 July Quarterly Report, Amended, January 18, 2011. 21 Id. 22 Associated Press, Mar. 24, 2010. 23 2 U.S.C. 441i(e)(1)(A); 11 CFR 300.61.

441a(a)(1)(C) and 441i(e)(1)(A), a federal officeholder may only solicit contributions of up to $5,000 from individuals . . . and Federal political action committees for an independent expenditure-only political committee such as CPA. 24 By soliciting a contribution of $25,000 from House Majority Leader Cantor, Rep. Schock likely violated 2 U.S.C. 441i(e)(1)(A) and 441a(a)(1)(C). Conversion of Campaign Funds for Personal Use Statute Federal law prohibits federal candidates from using campaign funds for personal use. The FECA states that a contribution or donation . . . shall not be converted by any person to personal use. 25 The Act further specifies that a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidates election campaign or individuals duties as a holder of Federal office, including . . . a vacation or noncampaign-related trip. 26 By using campaign funds for a personal stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne and series of workout DVDs, Rep. Schock likely converted his campaign funds for personal use in violation of 2 U.S.C. 439a(b)(1). Conversion of Campaign Funds to Personal Use House Rule House Rule 23 provides that a member of Congress may not convert campaign funds to personal use in excess of an amount representing reimbursement for legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures. 27 Further, Rule 23, clause 6(a) requires each member to keep his campaign funds separate from his personal funds. 28 The rule also provides that all campaign funds must be used for bona fide campaign or political purposes. 29 The Committee has warned members to keep in mind that each campaign outlay must not only be legitimate, but also verifiable, as such. 30 This requirement is separate from, and in addition to, whatever recordkeeping requirements are imposed by the Federal Election Commission . . . 31 By using campaign funds for a personal stay at the Hotel Grande Bretagne and series of workout DVDs, Rep. Schock likely violated House Rule 23.

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Federal Election Commission, Advisory Opinion 2011-12, June 30, 2011; see also FEC Complaint filed by Campaign Legal Center, April 30, 2012, available at http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/attachments/Press_Releases/CLC_-Dem_21_v_Schock_Complaint_-_4-3012.pdf. 25 2 U.S.C. 439a(b)(1). 26 2 U.S.C. 439a(b)(2)(E). 27 Rule 23, cl. 6(b); House Comm. on Standards of Official Conduct, House Ethics Manual, p. 163 (110th Cong., 2d Sess., 2008 ed.). 28 Id. 29 Rule 23, cl. 6(c); House Ethics Manual, pp. 152, 163. 30 Id., p. 163. 31 Id., p. 165 (emphasis in original).

Conduct Not Reflecting Creditably on the House House Rule 23 requires all members of the House to conduct themselves at all times in a manner that reflects creditably on the House. 32 This ethics standard is considered to be the most comprehensive provision of the code. 33 When this section was first adopted, the Select Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the 90th Congress noted it was included within the Code to deal with flagrant violations of the law that reflect on Congress as a whole, and that might otherwise go unpunished. 34 This rule has been relied on by the committee in numerous prior cases in which the committee found unethical conduct including: the failure to report campaign contributions, 35 making false statements to the committee, criminal convictions for bribery, 36 or accepting illegal gratuities, 37 and accepting gifts from persons with interest in legislation in violation of the gift rule. 38 By illegally converting campaign funds to his personal use and improperly soliciting $25,000 from House Majority Leader Cantor, Rep. Schock acted in a manner that does not reflect creditably upon the House.

Rule 23, cl. 1. House Ethics Manual, p. 12. 34 House Comm. on Standards of Official Conduct, Report Under the Authority of H. Res. 418, H. Rep. No. 1176, 90th Cong., 2d Sess. 17 (1968). 35 House Comm. on Standards of Official Conduct, In the Matter of Representative John J. McFall, H. Rep. No. 951742, 95th Cong., 2d Sess. 2-3 (1978) (Count 1); In the Matter of Representative Edward R. Roybal, H. Rep. No. 95-1743, 95th Cong., 2d Sess. 2-3 (1978). 36 House Comm. on Standards of Official Conduct, In the Matter of Representative Michael J. Myers, H. Rep. No. 96-1387, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 2, 5 (1980); see 126 Cong. Rec. 28953-78 (Oct. 2, 1980) (debate and vote of expulsion); In the Matter of Representative John W. Jenrette, Jr., H. Rep. No. 96-1537, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 4 (1980) (member resigned); In the Matter of Representative Raymond F. Lederer, H. Rep. No. 97-110, 97th Cong., 1st Sess. 4, 16-17 (1981) (member resigned after Committee recommended expulsion). In another case, the Committee issued a Statement of Alleged Violation concerning bribery and perjury, but took no further action when the member resigned (In the Matter of Representative Daniel J. Flood, H. Rep. No. 96-856, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 416, 125-126 (1980)). 37 House Comm. on Standards of Official Conduct, In the Matter of Representative Mario Biaggi, H. Rep. No. 100506, 100th Cong., 2d Sess. 7, 9 (1988) (member resigned while expulsion resolution was pending). 38 House Comm. on Standards of Official Conduct, In the Matter of Representative Charles H. Wilson (of California), H. Rep. No. 96-930, 96th Cong. 2d Sess. 4-5 (1980); see 126 Cong. Rec. 13801-20 (June 10, 1980) (debate and vote of censure).
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